Dr. Jordan Pickering is a biblical-studies scholar at the University of Cape Town YMCA Christian Study Centre, South Africa, and the author of Turn Neither Right Nor Left: Recentering Evangelicalism and Troubled Waters: A Fresh Look at Baptism and Why We Argue. Today’s topic: How the structure of Genesis 12 illuminates a hidden moment of silence, which in turn speaks to us about the nature of faith and blessing, and God’s long-term plan for the nations.
Dr Nathan Lovell is Director of Research at George Whitefield College, Cape Town, South Africa. He has published The Book of Kings and Exilic Identity along with several articles, and is he currently writing commentaries on Kings (Hodder Bible Commentary) and Chronicles (The Bible in God’s world). In a previous episode he joined Dr. Capes to talk about 1 Kings 3. In this new episode he addresses a listener’s question about the creature that tempted Eve in Genesis 3. In that context it is a talking snake. Close attention to the language of later biblical passages sheds light on how it happens that Revelation finally refers to this creature as a dragon, indeed, as Satan.
They wrote their book to promote the study of the Biblical languages. These days it has become less common for seminarians to study Biblical languages. Many seminaries and graduate schools do not require the languages any longer. Also, they do not offer enough courses so people can actually use the language after graduation. Forty to fifty years ago that was not the case.
Why the change? McDowell thinks the root is money. Enrollment is down, and schools are making their degrees shorter and easier. To be honest, the language courses are some of the most difficult.
Many popular ministers today do not focus on expository preaching. When they did, they talked about the Greek and the Hebrew in their sermons. So younger people are not being exposed to these insights in sermons. Another factor. The advances in computer technology cause Bible students to imagine they can avoid the hard work of language learning.
At the Lanier Theological Library we are interested in teaching people Greek and Hebrew. That is why we regularly offer Greek classes at the library.
Keep watching the Library website because soon we are going to teach Hebrew too.
Catherine McDowell is associate professor of Old Testament at Gordon Conwell Seminary in Charlotte, NC.
The Rev’d Dr. Philip H. Towner is a professor at Pontifical Urbaniana University in Rome, where he teaches translation studies. He is also a visiting professor of New Testament exegesis and translation at the Pontifical Biblical Institute, Rome.
Dr. Catherine McDowell is Associate Professor of Old Testament at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, having previously taught at Wheaton College. She also serves part-time as a professor of Hebrew and Old Testament at Séminaire Théologique Mondelus in Milot, Haiti. Among other things, she has authored, The Image of God in the Garden of Eden: The Creation of Humankind in Genesis 2:5-3:24 in Light of the mīs pî, pīt pî, and wpt-r Rituals of Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt. Today’s topic: Though some English translations have failed to convey this, the author of Ruth 3:17 was using word order to emphasize both Boaz’s excessive generosity and God’s care for the poor and marginalized.
A Word in Edgewise 
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